Index tab and guide



' Oct. 2, 1934. J H RAND 1,975,662.

INDEX TAB AND GUIDE I Filed April 5, 1933 Patented Oct. 2, 1934 PATENT, sides 1.975.662 INDEX TAB AND GUIDE James H. Rand, North Falmouth, Mass, assignor to Philrand, Inc., North Falmouth, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 5, 1933, Serial No. 664,591

11 Claims. (01. 12916.8)

,10 Well as affording a neat appearing assembly.

Such a tab is readily applicable to a guide or may be interchangeably employed with other guides, while the sheath itself may be employed interchangeably with sheaths of different colors or 15 tints to facilitate the indexing arrangement if desired. 'Both the body portions of the tabs and the sheaths are arranged to permit these advantages without necessitating structure that is likely to catch upon an adjoining folder or sheets of paper included in the indexed files.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a broken front view of an index guide or folder having one of my improved tabs applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an elevational detail of one corner of the index guide showing the manner in which the tab may be initially positioned in engagement with its edge, "a portion of the sheath of the guide being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged View partly in section and partly in perspective, showing the manner in which a slot or recess may be formed in the guide;

and

85 Fig. 5 is aperspective viewof the sheath.

To attain the objects of this invention, I preferably provide a tab having a body portion of metal extending above or beyond the edge of the guide and receiving a transparent sheath which is 'shaped to hold a name slip or indicating slip on the tab. Preferably the projecting portion of the tab is inclined at an obtuse angle to the portion thereof which engages the guide, thus to aid the visibility of the indicating strip. The'body por- -tion of the tab may be formed of distortable sheet metal preferably folded tov afford legs engaging opposite faces of the guide. One of the legs of the tab body portion may have protuberances 0 or inwardly directed flanges engageable with recesses arranged in a row along the marginal portion of the guide. The body portion of the tab may be distorted to permit the protuberances to be removed from recesses upon one part of the 5 margin of the guide and to be engaged with other recesses. Thus, ready lateral adjustment or removal of the tab is permitted.

The sheath is preferably provided with legs engaging the legs of the metal body portion, but arranged so that these parts may be separated by a relative lateral sliding movement. One edge of the sheath may preferably be located in the obtuse angled or reentrant portion of the sheet metal body member so that there is little possibility of this edge of the sheath catching upon adjoining files, folders, sheets of paper or the like. The opposite end of the sheath may extend downwardly below the corresponding leg of the body member and be provided with an inturned portion disposed beneath the edge of that leg, this inturned portion being continued to provide an upturned flange arranged between the lower part of the leg of the body portion and the face of the guide. The inturned portion of the sheath prevents removal of the sheath in a vertical direction while the upwardly extending flange aids in retaining the sheath in place'and affords an edge protected from accidental Preferably, the protuberances upon the lower edge of the leg of the body portion project through the guide and are disposed beneath the inturned portion of the sheath, thus aiding the retention of the sheathin place, although permitting its removal by a relative lateral movement. Adjoining the juncture of the inclined and vertical portions of the longer leg of the sheath, the material thereof may be formed into a rib to engage the edge of an inserted slip which is held by the sheath upon the inclined portion of the body member.

The recesses 0n the guide may be afforded by cutting through the guide to afford suitable slots disposed, for example, in spaced pairs to permit .the location of the tab at any one of a plurality of selected,'laterally spaced-positions, these slots being spaced so that the tabs when arranged upon a plurality of guides in an index will not be disposed in partially overlapping relationship but ordinarily may be placed either directly one behind the other or in positions wherein one is not concealed by the other. If the-recesses or slots in the guide are provided by cutting entirely through the cardboard or sheet material, burrs or roughened cardboard portions are likely to be left upon the guide. To avoid this undesirable result, the slots as finally afforded in the guide need not be entirely open. Preferably for this purpose the burred face of the guide is pressed to force the projecting material back into the refill catching upon neighboring objects cesses or slots. To this end a printing operation may be performed, for example, a line may be printed across the guide in the region of the recesses or slots, thus pressing the extruded material of the guide into the slots and tending to conceal the slots as viewed from the front of the guide.

In the accompanying drawing, numeral 1 designates an index guide 1 which, as shown, is in the form of a folder having an upstanding fiap portion 1 to which my improved tab 2 is applied. The construction of the member 1 may be of any suitable type, in so far as the present invention is concerned, if its margin is suitably formed to cooperate with my improved index guide. A significant feature of the index guide is the provision of a row of recesses or slots 3 disposed parallel to the upper edge of the flap 1 and arranged in spaced pairs to receive suitable protuberances or prongs 4 upon the tab 2.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the recesses 3 may be out into one face of the index member and the opposite face thereof provided with a printed line 1 or otherwise pressed or treated so that extruded, ragged, burrs do not occur upon one face of the cardboard as would be the case were the cutting member forced entirely through the cardboard and the latter permitted to remain in the natural resulting condition. If desired, it is obvious that a cutter may be inserted into the cardboard to define the slots, without being pressed entirely through the sheet, thus affording substantially the effect illustrated in Fig. 4.

As shown in Fig. 3, the tab 2 has a body portion 5, preferably of distortable or resilient sheet material such as sheet metal, which is formed by folding the sheet material back upon itself to afford a fold 6 at the upper part of this body portion. The lower margin of one of the legs of the sheet metal element thus provided is cut away and bent to provide the inturned prongs or flanges 4. The body portion 5 is bent intermediate its height, so that its upper portion is inclined in relation to the lower portions of its legs which are in engagement with opposite faces of the guide 1, the obtuse-angled bends in both legs being disposed adjoining the edge of guide 1 The lower corners of the rear leg of the metal body portion 5 of the tab preferably are cut away to afford diagonal edges as indicated by reference symbol 5, thus to facilitate engagement with the corner of an index member when the parts are substantially in the relative position shown in Fig. 2.

A sheath 10 of transparent material, either colorless or suitably tinted, may be provided to fit over the body portion 5. In certain index systems it is desirable to afford the sheaths in various colors or tints to aid the identification of the classified or indexed material. The lower end of the sheath is provided with an inturned portion underlying the edge of one leg of the body member; this portion is extended to provide an upturned flange 1O that fits between the leg of the metal body portion 5 and the face of the index guide 1. Adjoining the region of juncture of the inclined and vertical portion of the member 5 the sheath is provided with a transverse inwardly directed rib 10 which is formed by pressing its material inwardly to provide a-single undulation. Thus a rib is afforded to engage the lower edge of a conventional indicating slip 15 which may be suitably marked or typed to identify the indexed material. The rib l0 also holds the upper inclined surface of the longer leg of the sheath in spaced relation to the adjoining inclined surface of member 5, thus affording a space in which the indicating strip 15 may be disposed and frictionally retained. The sheath 10 is provided with a rear flange or leg l0 having an edge l0 adjoining the region of juncture of the inclined and vertical portion of the rear leg of body portion 5. Since this edge is positioned at a reentrant part of the tab, there is little possibility of its accidentally catching upon an adjoining folder or the like.

When a tab 2 is to be applied to a guide a suitable name slip or strip 15 is prepared, and the sheath 10 is slid laterally from the body portion 5 of the tab to permit the slip to be placed on the inclined front portion of the metal body portion. The sheath is slid into place with its rib 10 supporting the lower edge of the strip 15. The resilient body portion 5 is then distorted and its legs are engaged with the corner portion of the cardboard folder or separator in the general position shown in. Fig. 2 and then moved laterally until the prongs 4 are positioned to engage a desired pair of slots 3. a

The natural resiliency of the body portion of the tab aided by the pressure of the fingers, if desired, results in the prongs e passing into the slots 3 to the general position illustrated in Fig. 3,

vthus properly to position the index tab. Ob-

viously the prongs are effective in maintaining the tab in proper position both laterally and vertically in relation to the holder. As shown, they preferably project to underlie the inturned portion of the sheath which engages the'lower edge of the front legof body portion 5, thus affording 110 an arrangement wherein the upper part of the cardboard guide is substantially enclosed by the resilient tab. The shapeof the tab facilitates the removal of the prongs 4 from the recesses 3, the angular portion of the tab adjoining the rib 10*, 5115 conveniently acting as a fulcrum which may be engaged by the hand of a person who also applies pressure to the outer end of the tab, thus to swing the prongs out of engagement with the recesses 3, before the tab is moved laterally. 1

I claim:

1. Index guide having a tab secured thereto, said tab comprising a body member of folded sheet metal having opposite legs at opposite faces of the guide and a fold portion'spaced thereabove, 1-25 each leg of said member being bent at an obtuse angle above the guide to provide upp r inclined portions, a sheath of transparent material having opposite legs disposed in engagement with said inclined portions of the body member and an indi- 30 eating strip held between the sheath and the body member.

2. Index guide and tab combination comprising a guide having a row of slot-like recesses, a tab having a body portion with opposite legs engaging opposite faces of the guide and with a protuberance engaging one of said recesses, said body portion being formed of distortable material to permit the disengagement of the protuberance with said recess and its engagement with another recess, said recesses which are out of engagement protuberance engaging one of said recesses, said .150

body portion being formed of distortable material to permit the disengagement of the protuberance and said recess and its engagement with another recess, said recesses generally being occupied by material of the guide which is readily'distortable and has substantially less rigidity of structure than characterizes the remainder of the guide, such as may be provided by cutting through the material or the guide and then pressing said material down as by a printing operation to avoid protuberances or burrs.

4. Index guide and tab combination comprising a guide, a tab secured to an edge of the guide and having a body portion including an inclined part disposed outwardly of the edge of the guide and bent at an obtuse angle to the adjoining portion of the same, thereby providing a recess or reentrant region adjoining the edge of the guide on one side of the same, a sheath of translucent material straddling the body portion and having one edge disposed under the edge of the body portion of the tab and held between the same and the guide, the opposite edge of the sheath being disposed in said reentrant region to avoid accidental catching upon adjoining objects.

5. Index guide and tab combination, comprising a guide, a tab having a distortable body portion formed of sheet material to provide a fold above the edge of the guide, and legs with their lower portions on opposite faces of the guide, a sheath of folded transparent material adapted to be slid laterally out of engagement with said body portion, said sheath having legs engaging the outer faces of the opposite legs of said body portion, and having one of its legs extended beneath the lower edge of one of the legs of the body portion and provided with an upwardly turned flange disposed between the leg of the body portion and the face of the guide, whereby the inturned portion of the sheath leg prevents its vertical movement, although the sheath is capable of lateral sliding in relation to said body portion.

6. Index guide and tab combination, comprising a guide, a tab having a distortable body portion formed of sheet material to provide a fold above the edge of the guide and legs with their lower portions on opposite faces of the guide, a sheath of transparent material adapted to be slid laterally out of engagement with said body portion, said sheath having a fold engaging the fold of the body portion and having legs engaging the outer faces of the opposite legs of said body portion, one of the legs of the sheath extending beheath the lower edge of one of the legs of the body portion, said leg of the sheath terminating in an upwardly turned flange between the leg of the body portion and the face of the guide, the edge of the opposite leg of the sheath being disposed in a recess in the body portion of the tab afforded by bending the upper part of one leg of the body portion at an obtuse angle to the lower part of that leg which is in engagement with the face of the guide, whereby the sheath is provided with a fold engaging the fold of the body portion to prevent movement in one direction, and whereby the inturned portion of its leg prevents movement in the opposite direction, although the sheath is capable of lateral sliding in relation to said body portion.

7. Index guide and tab combination comprising a guide, having a slot, a tab having a distortable metal portion with legs engaging opposite faces of the guide, the end of one of said legs being inturned to provide a flange engaging the slot in the guide, a sheath of transparent material having a fold portion engaging the upper edge of said metal portion and having legs engaging the opposite legs of said portion, one of the legs of said sheath being provided with an inwardly extending flange having an upturned extension lying between the guide and the corresponding leg of the metal portion, the extremity of said flange upon the opposite leg of the metal portion being disposed beneath the inturned portion of said sheath.

8. Index guide and tab combination, comprising a guide, a tab having a body member secured to the guide and projecting beyond the edge thereof, a sheath of transparent material having opposite legs engaging opposite faces of said member, one of said legs being shaped to provide a rib holding the adjoining portion of the sheath spaced from the upper part of the body portion, whereby a space is provided to receive an indicating strip, said sheath being slidable laterally in relation to said body portion to permit the uncovering and removal of the indicating strip.

9. A sheath for employment on an index tab, comprising a sheet of return bent transparent material providing opposite legs of unequal length, the longer leg being bent to provide portions at an obtuse angle to each other, the portion of the longer leg adjoining the fold being substantially parallel to the shorter leg, the exremity of the longer leg being provided with an upturned flange portion substantially parallel to the adjoining portion of the leg and adapted to underlie the body portion of a tab element.

10. A sheath for employment on an index tab, comprising a sheet of return bent transparent material providing opposite legs of unequal length, the longer leg being bent to provide portions at an obtuse angle to each other, the portion of the longer leg adjoining the fold being substantially parallel to the shorter leg, the extremity oi the longer leg being provided with an upturned flange portion substantially parallel to the adjoining portion of the leg and adapted to underlie the body portion of a tab element, said longer leg being provided with an inwardly extending rib substantially at the region of the obtuse angle in said longer leg.

11. Index guide having a tab secured thereto, said tab comprising a body member of sheet metal having front and rear legs at opposite faces of the guide and a fold spaced thereabove, each leg or said member being bent at an obtuse angle above the guide to provide upper rearwardly inclined portions, a sheath of transparent material having front and rear legs disposed in engagement with said inclined portions of the body member, the front leg of the sheath extending downwardly to the lower end of the front leg of the body member and having a flange extending inwardly below the lower edge of said leg of the body member, the rear leg of the sheath having its lower edge disposed substantially in the reentrant part of the body member provided by the obtuse-angled bend, whereby the edges of the sheath are protected against catching on ad-1 joining objects.

JAMES H. RAND. 

